Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a private, Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart was the first Catholic university in the United States to be staffed by the laity.
Sacred Heart is the second-largest Catholic university in New England, behind Boston College, and offers more than 80 degree programs to over 8,500 students at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.
Undergraduate students can study at Sacred Heart's international campuses in Dingle, Ireland and Luxembourg, including freshmen participating in pre-fall and Freshman Fall Abroad programs. On the main campus, academic facilities include the Frank and Marisa Martire Business & Communications Center and the Center for Healthcare Education.